More particularly, but not exclusively, the invention is concerned with a portable blood pressure measuring device that is for use at home.
Traditional home-use automatic blood pressure monitors display blood pressure readings on an LCD panel. Such panels can be difficult to read under dim or strong lighting conditions. Furthermore, most blood pressure monitors of this type do not have backlighting so the user may have difficulty in reading the readout in dark environments, such as at night time.
After using a blood pressure monitor to determine one's blood pressure, users usually compare their readings to the classification published by the World Health Organisation and International Society of Hypertension. Such published materials are often included in the handbook provided with domestic blood pressure monitors.
Most users of home blood pressure monitors are elderly and therefore it might not be easy for them to remember past systolic and diastolic readings or classifications, or indeed to compare measured readings with those which appear in the user manual, often in fine print.
In order to obtain accurate blood pressure measurements, the user must raise his or her arm to heart level, and then remain still without speaking as would be the case when having their blood pressure taken by a doctor.